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Chickpea Recipes

Chickpeas go beyond hummus and simple bean salad tosses. From silky ravioli to crunchy snacks, chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are a cheap and high-protein ingredient that can add versatility to your pantry. Chickpeas also add a boost of fiber to soups, stews, chili, and salads. They're great in sandwiches and may even pop up in a few surprisingly delicious places (waffles, anyone?). Use this chickpea recipes collection as a starting point for using more chickpeas in your meals, and soon you'll be finding fun ways to add them to your menu every week.

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Israeli-Style Hummus

A little baking soda softens the chickpeas for an ethereally smooth texture. Israelis like a strong tahini presence in their hummus, but you can use less if you like. The tahini will seize up when added to the lemon juice mixture—this is perfectly normal. Thin out with ice-cold water, stirring well with a whisk. The hummus will have the best flavor and will thicken considerably once cooled.

We suggest building a hummus bar for your guests and enjoying the Israeli way: Spread in a shallow bowl, and piled with toppings. The next three recipes are a great place to start.

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Chickpea Cookie Dough

This gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and no-bake nostalgic indulgence is totally safe to spoon straight from the food processor—in fact, we encourage it. Chickpeas may sound unconventional, but they pack protein and lend a pleasing nutty texture and flavor. For a variation, form the mixture into balls and freeze to make cookie dough truffles.

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Pasta with Chickpea Sauce

Onions, carrots, and garlic cook in olive oil until buttery soft, then get blended with chickpeas and water to form a deeply savory puree that coats pasta beautifully. It’s a satisfying dish that just happens to be vegan. Try to let the blender run for a minute or two when pureeing the ingredients; the smoother the sauce, the better the dish. A flourish of fresh herbs at the end brightens and freshens the dish; you can use all parsley or all basil if you don’t have both on hand.

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Chickpea Panzanella

Fresh and fast, this meatless main redefines the art of convenience cooking. We toast the bread in the oven, but if you already have the grill cranked up, this salad easily transitions to an outdoor dish. If your bakery carries whole-grain ciabatta, use it for a nutrition boost.

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Chili-Lime Roasted Chickpeas

Crunchy roasted chickpeas are a cinch to make and take only about 40 minutes from start to finish. They make for a satisfying salty snack that’s high in protein and fiber. To ensure the crunchiest texture, pat the chickpeas dry before tossing with oil. You can play around with other spices for different flavor combinations—try smoked paprika and cumin, Madras curry powder, or even cinnamon and powdered sugar.

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Smashed Chickpea Salad Toasts

A little reminiscent of both tuna salad and egg salad, this combo of coarsely mashed chickpeas, mayo, pickles, celery, and onion is all at once creamy, crunchy, and toothsome. We like serving it as an open-faced tartine or toast, but you can also sandwich it between two bread slices or serve it with whole-grain crackers. For a vegan version, choose a vegan mayo, and you’ll be good to go.

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Summery Chickpea Salad

This fresh seasonal salad is ridiculously easy to put together and quite versatile. Serve our suggested amount as a side salad with grilled steak, chicken, or fish, or eat a double portion as a main dish. You can also stick with the serving size listed here and add canned oil-packed tuna or sliced rotisserie chicken breast for a filling lunch. Leftovers fare well as is, tucked into tacos, or added to whole-grain salad bowls.

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Chickpea Chili

Chickpeas give an unexpected twist to classic chili. On second thought, nearly all of the flavors in this recipe give an entirely different flavor to the typical Tex-Mex staple, but it will soon become a classic.

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Crunchy Chickpeas

Low and slow is the key to drawing out all of the moisture without burning the chickpeas or seasoning. It may seem tedious, but removing the skins before roasting is essential to obtain the deepest level of crunch on this tasty snack, which is a much healthier alternative to deep-fried chickpeas. As they cook, the spices mingle and mellow for a rounded flavor. You'll surprise and delight the crowd with how satisfyingly crunchy these light nibbles are. Use leftovers for salads, snack mixes, or to top casseroles, soups, and stews.

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Onion, Kale, Chickpea, and Chicken Soup

Few things beat a steaming bowl of veggie-packed chicken soup on a crisp autumn evening, and this one happens to be a perfect potion for the seasonal chills. You can leave the thyme sprigs in the broth (just ladle around them) so they'll keep releasing herbaceous goodness into any leftovers.

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One-Hour Spanish Chickpea Soup

Dried chickpeas are typically soaked overnight and then simmered for up to two and a half hours to become tender. These, though, go into the pressure cooker dry and come out tender in just one hour! Use high-quality, cured Spanish chorizo (and not the fresh or raw Mexican version) for the best flavor and texture in this earthy, satisfying soup.

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Chickpea and Vegetable Tagine

This simple stew, boldly flavored with exotic spices and packed with vegetables, is endlessly adaptable. You can try it any time of year with seasonal vegetables, adjusting the liquid and cooking time accordingly.

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Chickpea Salad with Provençal Herbs and Olives

Take a quick jaunt to the south of France with this fiber-rich, no-cook salad. Fresh herbs and the powerful flavor of olives mellow the earthiness of chickpeas, making a dish that tastes lighter than it looks. Make the salad a few hours ahead if you can; the longer it marinates in the dressing, the more flavorful it will be. This dish completes a vegetarian meal nicely when paired with a quick meatless main like pasta or grilled portobellos.

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Chickpeas with Spinach

"This vegetarian dish is easy and requires very little oil. Add ground red pepper if you'd like it spicier. I like to serve this dish with Indian flatbread and yogurt."--Rajita Elhence, Middleburg, Heights, OH

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Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

Hearty canned chickpeas hold up beautifully in the slow cooker, where they're combined with fragrant spices and just a little stock. Since the chicken cooks on top of the chickpea mixture and is not submerged in liquid, it can cook longer without suffering texturally.

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Curried Chickpea Stew with Brown Rice Pilaf

This curry hails from the Indian region of Punjab. The cardamom pods puff up to almost twice their size and float to the top, so they're easy to find and discard before serving. In just one serving, you pack in lots of whole-grains and close to 10 grams of fiber, thanks to brown rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, and plenty of onion.

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Chickpea Bajane

Bajane is a Provençal term for the midday meal. Chickpeas are a staple in Provence, where they are often stewed and served with pasta and vegetables. In this version, chickpeas, leeks, carrots, fennel, and spinach are served atop protein-rich quinoa.

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Marinated Chickpeas

You can make this dish up to three days in advance; the longer the chickpeas marinate, the more flavor they acquire. But they're so good you might run into the same problem as From Virginia Beach: "LOVE this recipe. My only regret was that it was gone so fast the flavors didn't get to marry as well as they could have."